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Now let's start the show.
Welcome to Operations Unfiltered, the
podcast that takes you behind the scenes
of influencer and talent management.
I like to think of it as the place
where business meets culture and
project management meets real life.
I'm your host, Zaina, and today
we're diving into a hot topic that's
changing the game for young athletes.
I'm talking about name,
image, and likeness.
Better known as NIL.
If you've been scrolling through
social media, you've probably seen
high school and college athletes
signing major endorsement deals,
repping brands, and securing the
bag before they even hit the pros.
But here's the catch.
NIL isn't a free for all.
The rules are complicated.
State laws vary, and if you're not
careful, you could fumble the bag
before you even get your first check.
I get this the wildest part.
Social media is both the biggest asset
and the biggest liability in this space.
So today we're breaking it all down.
The power of social media literacy,
the messy NIL landscape, and a real
life case of a young athlete from
Houston who reached out to me for help.
So without further ado, let's
get into this week's episode
of Operations Unfiltered.
First things first.
If you're an athlete in 2025,
your social media is your resume.
Brands aren't just looking at stats.
They're looking at things like
engagement, personality, and
most of all, professionalism.
So what does good social media look like?
It means you're marketable, relatable,
and brands wanna align with you.
But bad social media means one bad
tweet from a few years ago resurfaces,
and suddenly that six figure deal
that you were hoping for vanishes.
A real life example of this is
Mikey Williams, a once highly
recruited basketball player
with millions of followers.
It seems like his social media presence
helped him build a brand, but legal issues
off the court led to lost opportunities.
The same platforms that made him a
superstar, also amplified his downfall.
So as a project manager, what
can we take away from this?
Think of social media,
like a long-term project.
Every post, every partnership, every
comment is a stakeholder interaction.
Manage it wisely.
Now let's talk about the actual NIL
rules, or better yet, the lack thereof.
I.
Here's the deal.
There is no federal NIL law.
Every state has different regulations.
Some allow high school athletes to
sign in NIL deals and some don't.
Another thing to remember is that
colleges set their own policies.
Some schools let athletes
work with agents, some don't.
And the ncaa, they're barely keeping up.
They put out vague guidelines, but
enforcement is typically inconsistent.
So to translate things, what works in one
state might get you in trouble in another.
Here's another example.
Jayden Rashada, a top football recruit
who had an NIL deal worth millions
until it fell apart Because of contract
issues and unclear regulations.
These deals are not guaranteed and without
the right legal guidance, young athletes
can get played before they even get paid.
So another takeaway here,
NIL deals are just contracts.
Just like project agreements.
You need to know the fine
print before you sign.
Okay?
So for this episodes behind the
Briefcase, I wanna take you behind
the scenes of a real project that I'm
working on or that a colleague has
worked on and how we worked through it.
So a few weeks ago, a young athlete from
Houston slid into my dms with a question,
how do I start preparing for NIO?
That sounds simple, right?
No, because here's the tricky part.
Texas NIL laws allow college athletes
to profit, but high school athletes,
that's a completely different story.
And if this athlete moves states for
colleges, the rules change again.
So how did I handle this situation?
Step one, I completed research
and a risk assessment.
I had to break it down Texas NIL law
school policies and NCAA guidelines, and
spoiler alert, it's messy and confusing.
Step two, build a roadmap.
I advised him to start by cleaning
up his social media, documenting
his dream brand partnerships, and
connecting with compliance officers at
potential schools, as well as building
relationships with other people who
are in the same position that he is.
Step three, I set expectations.
I reminded him that just because
an NIL deal is offered doesn't
mean that it's a good one.
Some deals have hidden clauses and
some brands just want cheap promo.
The reality of the matter is NIL
is truly the wild, wild west.
Young athletes need mentors, legal
guidance, financial literacy,
and a solid personal brand
to navigate it successfully.
Now, you might be thinking,
okay, cool, NIL talk.
But what does this have to do
with marketing project management?
What does this have to do with talent
management, influencer management?
Everything.
NIL deals are just another form
of business negotiation, brand
strategy, and stakeholder management.
But here's what we can
take away from this.
Contracts matter whether you're an
athlete signing an NIL deal or a project
manager finalizing vendor agreements.
Always read the fine
print and read it again.
And one more time just to be sure.
We also have to realize that social
media is an asset or can be a liability.
Your brand, be it personal or
professional, can open or close doors,
manage it like a long-term investment.
Last, but not least, every
opportunity isn't a good one.
Or as my grandmother would always
say, all money ain't good money.
Just like not every influencer
deal is worth taking.
Not every NIL deal is worth signing.
If you treat NIL like a business, you
set yourself up for long-term success.
If you treat it like fast cash, you could
end up losing before you even start.
Keep that in mind.
Well, that is a wrap for this very
short episode of Operations Unfiltered.
If you enjoyed this breakdown, please do
me a favor, share this with an athlete, a
coach, or anyone trying to navigate NIO.
And if you're a business athlete or a
creator looking for real strategy or some
consultation, slide into my dms and let's
make sure your name, image, and likeness
are working for you, not against you.
Until next time, make sure you manage
your projects, your brand, and your
money, and I'll see you guys soon.